how many 18 carbon cis-monunsaturated fatty acids are there?

To determine the number of 18 carbon cis-monounsaturated fatty acids, you need to understand the structure and nomenclature of fatty acids.

First, let's break down the meaning:

- "18 carbon" means that the fatty acid contains 18 carbon atoms in its chain.
- "Cis" refers to the configuration of the double bond(s) in the fatty acid. Cis-monounsaturated fatty acids have one double bond with both carbon atoms of the double bond on the same side of the chain.

To determine the number of possible 18 carbon cis-monounsaturated fatty acids, we need to consider the position of the double bond within the chain.

The double bond can be placed at different positions along the carbon chain, ranging from the 2nd carbon (omega-7) to the 17th carbon (omega-3), as omega refers to the end of the chain closest to the double bond.

To calculate the number of potential positions for the double bond, subtract 1 from 18: 18 - 1 = 17.

Therefore, there are potentially 17 different positions where the double bond can be located in a fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms. Each of these positions can give rise to a specific cis-monounsaturated fatty acid.

It is important to note that not all of these possible fatty acids may exist naturally or be biologically significant. However, they can all be theoretically derived.